Yes, it was 73 magazine that used to sponsor those single band
contests on 160M, 80M, 40M... I think it was SSB only. It was my
first experience working a 160M contest in the early 1980's. To add
my 2 cents worth, I have had little luck with verticals over poor
ground in Northern Virginia... make that little luck with working DX.
I was successful getting a few new hams interested in DXing, after
watching me struggle with aluminum pipes, and radial wire. I'm sure
it was amusing.
73 Denis, W4DC / VP2MFM
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: TopBand: Vertical vs horizontal
Author: <g3xtt@lineone.net> at internet
To: <topband@contesting.com>
Date: 10/20/97 10:10 AM
Have been watching the discussion with interest. I suspect it's not so much
vertical vs. horizontal antennas, but high-angle vs. low-angle radiation.
As such, to be a "big gun" on 160 you really need to be able to cater for
both, as conditions can vary so much from path to path and from day to day.
I always recall a particular topband contest some years back (I think it
was one of those sponsored by 73 Magazine, which used to run 160, 80 and 40
metre contests). I put up a high inverted-L for DX working, and a low (30ft
at the centre!) inverted-vee to work the UK and Europe. On night one I
couldn't raise any W/VE stations on the inverted-L, but almost all of them
responded first call on the low inverted-vee! On the second night
everything was back to normal - the inverted-vee worked only for close-in
stuff, whereas the inverted-L did the trick for DX. I wish now that I had
noted the solar data for the two nights - it might have been possible to
draw some conclusions.
Don G3XTT
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